Apparatus for testing fluid-meters.



,T. B'. 1101mm. APPARATUS FOR TESTING- PLUID METERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 190B. 9 v 7 899,960. Patented Septi29,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOH I WITNESSE 'T. B. D0'RNIN. APPARATUS FOR TESTING FLUID METERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

2 SHEETS-833E112.

' INVENTOH 2730231555- DDHNIN w/r/vsssm 76@ i purpose of determini g t accuracy, esti UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. THOMAS B. DORN IN, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB M.

: UMSTADTER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR 'rnsrme FLUID-METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed May 15, 1908. Serial N 0. 432,974.

5 Virginia, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Apparatus for Testingli'luid- Meters, of which the following is a specification. M I Inthe operation of testing fluid meters, such as water meters andthe like, for the mating the error of the same, it is necessary to temporarily couple up the inflow and outso that water taken from the supply pipe flows throughthe meter, registering on the r dial the efl'ectflofits passage, and dischargingthence into a measuring tank, the volume of water in which" is then compared with the registration on the dial ofthe meter for de 'termining its accuracy or error.

connectionwit the supply pipe and measuring tank 1s, where a" large number of meters 'are to be tested, a slow and tedious operation,

and my invention 'is designed to provide an' apparatus whereby alarge number of meters.

may be simultaneously connected with tight joints to the supply pipe and measuring tank, and the'metersall tested at once with a great saving'of time and labor.. p

To that end my-invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement ofparts' of a specially designedaapparatus,pas wlll be a I 1gure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 aside- T e machine consists of a table E supother supporting surface. At the supply end of the table is bolted afixed b'rack' t A, the

top of which is hollow andis tapped, on. the j supply side, to take a supply pipe D taking flui l throughv a quick opening valve under pressure. from a supfilypi e KK E, tii e pipe KK being .in'connecti on with a su On the dlscharge side of bracket able sleeve 0 with an external shoulder is ply ma n.

inserted and shouldersuagainst the'ibracket flow nipples ofithe meter to asupply pipe,

hereinafter more fully described with referenceto. the drawings, inwhich' the apparatus,- with two' of the meters in npositiongand Fig. 4 is asimilar' 'view of the sup ly end of the device.

ported by legs G0, which rest on the floor or A, the joint between bracket A and sleeve C being made water-tight by means of a washer B. Sleeve C is suitably recessed to take the spud or nipple of ameter BB, the joint between meter BB' and sleeve 0 being made watertight bymeans of a washer F.

Between each pair of meters a longitudinally slidable sleeve H is supported by an arm I, which in turn is carried by a horizontal rod K, supported by brackets J, the arms I being held, rigid on rod K by a set" bolt through adjustable on said rod. The joints between the meter spuds and slidable sleeves are made water-tight by washers L. On the discharge side of the meter next to the discharge end of the testing machine a removable sleeve 'M' with an external shoulder is supported by arm I, and the arms being longitudinally and shouldersagainst a longitudinally movable bracket N. The sleeve M is suitably recessed to take the spud of a meter BB, the f The fitting u of each meter to water tight jointbetween the meter spud and sleeve M being made water-tight by a washer Y, and the joint between sleeve M and bracket N being made water-tight by a washer W. All the sleeves are coaxially arranged and form through passages for the water.

Into the discharge ide of bracket N a discharge pipe P is tapped, this pipe P leading upand over a tank Q, or other suitable measuring device, and having on its discharge end a discharge hearlAA, having suitable open-p ings therein. 1 v

The bracket N is supported by and slidable longitudinally in a guide plate 0, bolted to the table E, the bracket N being adjusted, thereon by means of a pinion S carried by a shaft, LL, journaled in bracket N, and engaging a rack T bolted to guide late 0. The

pinion is rotated by a lever which is'secured to. and adjusted on shaft LL by-aset bolt U seated into any one of a series of recesses in shaft LL. Lever R is secured in any desired position by means of a set lever X which clamps lever R to an arch bar V, bolted to'bracket N.

Before the meters BB are adjusted into the sleeves C,H'an'd M, said meters, are-supported by means of a rest table Z, made vertically adjustable and which in turn is supported by adgusting rods MM, which are threaded into tank Q by means of lever R; sleeve H (next charge pipe after testing. This drainvalve is located between the clamping abutment and the water supply pipe.

The operation of my invention is as follows: BracketN is first set back towards to sleeve C) is then moved in the direction of tank Q, and the first meter BB is inserted in sleeve C. Sleeve H is then slipped up on to the meterspud, and the next meter in line'is then inserted in first sleeve H. The next sleeve H is then slipped up over the second meter spud, and the next meter in turn inserted until the last meter next to bracket N has been inserted. Bracket N is then moved towards the supply end of the machine, and is set up by lever R'until sufiicient pressure has been brought to bear upon all joints be- .tween the sleeves and meter s uds to make the same water-tight. Water is then let into and through the meters from supply ipe K by means of valve The tankfig is then balanced, meters read, and the desired stream turned on through discharge headAA. When the desired amount of water has been run into the tank, thedischarge is cut off at head AA, and the final reading of all meters taken. The meters and discharge ipe are then drained by means of drain va ve DD, the valve EE having been first shut ofi. Bracket N is then moved back towards the tank by means oflever R, and the meter next to bracket N is then taken out; the first sleeve next to discharge end is then slip ed back, and the second meter removed, an so on until all meters are removed from the machine.

.The im ortant value of my invention is to be, found in the coaxially alined slip sleeves H, by means of which any number of meters may be set in series and all joints between the meters and sleeves made water-tight at one operation through exerting pressure, by suitable means, on one end meter, the other end being held stationary by a suitable abutment.

The-advantages claimed are that by one o eration all joints between all meters and s eeves are made water-tight, thus obviating the necessity of separate operations for mak ing the joints water-tight 'at each meter.

To accommodate meters of difierent sizes,

the table screws M M provide for vertical variation and for horizontal variation, the sleeves C, H and M are 'made in varying lengths intercha eably adjustable, longer sleeves being use Iiclairn.-

1. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves, means for independently holding the samein coaxial alinement with spaces for the meters between, andrmeans for clamping the inlet andoutlet connections of a plurality for smaller meters.

of meters against the coaxially alined sleeves in alternating relation with the same.

2. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves, means for holding the same in coaxial alinement and means for clamping the inlet and outlet connections of the meters against'the' coaxially alined sleeves, said means consisting of a stationary abutting hearing at one end and a longitudinally adjustable bearing at the other end having a passageway for the water through it and means for holding it to its longitudinal adjustment. i 3. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves, means for holding the same in coaxial alinement and'means for clamping the inlet and outlet connections of the meters against the coaxially alined sleeves, said means consisting of a stationary abutment at one end and a longitudinally adjustable bearing at the other end arranged coaxially to the other sleeves and having a through passageway, and a rack and pinion for movmg said adjustable bearing.

4. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidablo sleeves means for holding the same in coaxial alinement and means for clamping the inlet and outlet connections of the meters against the coaxially alined sleeves, said means consisting of a stationary abutmentbearing at one end, formed as a shouldered sleeve, a shouldered sleeve at the other end and means for bringing them together.

5. An ap aratus for testing meters, coinrising a rod having right angularly projectlng arms bearing openings in their ends conta ni coaxially arranged and longitudinally slidab e sleeves and means for clamping the inlet and outlet connections of the meters against the coaxially arranged sleeves.

'6. An apparatus for testing meters, com prising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves means for holding the same in coaxial alinement and means for clamping the inlet and outletconnections of the meters ing devices having through passageways for the entry and esca e of the fluid.

I T OMAS B. DORNIN. Witnesses:

J. M. UMSTADTER, JOSEPH FANNING. 

